


A Year

by JKlog



Series: A Year [1]
Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: M/M, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23480932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKlog/pseuds/JKlog
Summary: Written for the Sentinel Thursday Challenge 644 - absence.
Relationships: Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg
Series: A Year [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1689265
Kudos: 12





	A Year

Challenge 644 – absence

Title: A year

Author: JKlog

Category: Pre-slash

Word count: 900

A/N: It’s an AU where Blair goes on an expedition after SenToo. Thanks to Bluewolf for the beta read.

Blair found Jim’s total absence of facial expression disconcerting. Jim didn’t seem to care that he was leaving for a year.

Finally, an expedition to Peru had appeared and Blair had hesitated again as he did with the one to Borneo. But this time Jim had been adamant that he went. He said that the control over his senses had grown better and besides, Megan knew how to take him out of a zone, though she wasn’t as good as Blair doing it.

After much arguing, Blair had finally capitulated. He was going, but only because he was sure that Jim could get in touch with him through radio communication if needed. Not directly, but leaving a message by phone at a local educational institute in the nearest town. Jim promised to phone if something really bad happened, but he was sure nothing was going to happen, as far as his senses were concerned.

Blair wanted to find a sign in the sentinel’s face, as he was standing by the door with his luggage. Just something that said: _I’ll miss you._ But nothing. His face seemed made of stone, completely unexpressive. Blair wished he had the ability of telepathy, or mind reading, to know what Jim was really thinking and feeling. As he was hugging him, he could as well be hugging a statue. Such a cold hug. However, Blair relished it. He knew he was going to miss his friend like hell. He couldn’t help letting a tear drop from his eyes.

Only when he saw that, Jim seemed to have some kind of reaction. He smiled. Just an almost-not-there smile. It vanished quickly.

“Go, Chief, or you’ll miss your flight.”

“Okay, you’re going to be all right, won’t you?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. It’s only a year. It’ll pass quickly. Before you realize it, you’ll be back.”

“Call me if something happens.”

“Nothing is going to happen. Just go and enjoy your expedition.”

“Bye, Jim.” Blair’s heart was breaking, but Jim’s seemed to be made of iron.

“Bye, Chief.”

The door closed behind Blair.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

_Oof!_

Jim closed the door and went to sit on the couch. _Finally, by myself. All the loft for me, and only for me._

He liked Blair’s presence, he couldn’t say he didn’t, but lately he had found himself a little under pressure. He was beginning to feel like he did before he went to Clayton Falls. Blair was always there, under his nose. The little guy was nice, though untidy and messy, but _he was always there_. Jim wanted a little privacy, for a change. The privacy he used to have before all the sentinel business exploded.

As it was Saturday evening, he could indulge in a beer - or two, or three. He didn’t have to wake up early the next day. He went to the fridge, and automatically took two bottles, one for him and one for… He smiled when he realized there was no Blair, he was alone. He laughed out loud then, enjoying the freedom to do so, without anyone asking, “What are you laughing at?”.

He sat on the couch again and switched on the TV. He found a program that looked interesting, and after fifteen minutes of watching it, he realized he had picked a program that surely Blair would like. It was about ancient Egypt. He wondered when had his tastes in TV programs changed. He used to watch cop shows. Now he watched documentaries, and he didn’t dislike them. Thinking about it, a lot of his tastes had changed since Blair came into his life. In food, in drinks, in books, in music, in TV programs. But Blair’s tastes had changed too. He now liked pizza, and before he’d said it was the “pie of death”. Unfortunately. He wouldn’t have eaten that pizza slice and got dosed with golden, if his tastes hadn’t changed.

Jim’s spirits went down when he thought of how close he had been to losing his guide. Several times. Most recently, in that dammed fountain. He was so glad that Alex was a vegetable now. She deserved no less for killing his best friend. Jim cringed inwardly when he envisioned the still body that they took out of the water, Simon asking desperately if he heard a heartbeat.

He didn’t.

Blair was dead.

He took a long swig of his beer. It was so surreal what happened next. Incacha, the jaguar, the wolf. Blair’s heartbeat suddenly sounding in his ears, the water pouring out of his lungs through his mouth. The medics couldn’t believe it, but Blair was alive.

Then at the hospital, the silly joke about meeting nurses. And the worst, _I couldn't let you die. You owe your last month's rent._ And how far his feelings were of all that, because he couldn’t let Blair die because he was his… life?

With his beer half way to his mouth, he realized he was going into dangerous territory. He couldn’t take that trip with Blair, he wasn’t ready. Even if the water was nice, as his guide said.

But he missed Blair already. He left the bottle on the coffee table, and ran his hands over his face. He missed him like mad.

A year? He couldn’t stand half an hour without his guide.

Why is it that we can only appreciate what we have when we experience its absence?


End file.
